A significant consideration in brake system design is the new or green effectiveness of a brake pad. As a newly-manufactured brake pad material is “bedded,” “burnished,” or “broken in,” its ability to create friction when forced against a brake rotor generally increases. The increase in friction changes the brake pedal effort required by the driver to reduce vehicle speed. Braking systems should be designed so that stopping requirements as dictated by federal law and customer requirements are satisfied under both new and burnished lining conditions. Braking systems should also be designed to give a driver a consistent brake pedal feel throughout the life of a brake pad.
Existing methods for increasing friction in a green brake lining can include heavy abrasives in the lining formulation, or applying high heat to the braking surface of the lining (commonly called “scorching”) during manufacturing to eliminate resins and increase friction. Addition of abrasives can have undesirable long-term side effects as a trade off to achieve desired pedal feel on a new vehicle. Scorching can be undesirable because it is an energy-intensive process involving essentially a controlled burn of the surface of the brake pad lining using jets of flame.